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Cold Weather: Protect Your Pets

We’ve put together some advice on keeping your pets warm and comfortable during the winter season. It can become bitterly cold and your pet doesn’t have the option to go and put a coat on themselves!

Make sure your pet has shelter

Obviously, your dog should be taken out for frequent exercise no matter the season, but this will always be under a human’s supervision. The rest of the time, they will usually be indoors. It’s slightly more difficult with cats, as they are more independent and likely to wander by themselves. Despite this, you should always provide your cat with shelter at night (house, garage) and keep them in their overnight if possible. Make sure they have access to water and a cosy place to sleep.

Wrap them up warm

For the smaller dogs, or those that have a thin coat of fur, it may be a good idea to purchase a warm jumper/coat for them to wear during walks. This may sound silly, but it will protect them further from harsh weather and keep them warmer. If it’s snowy/icy where you are, boots for your dog could also be something to think about.

Wipe your dog’s paws

There can be a risk of rock salt and various other chemicals on the pavements/roads when walking your dog, so it’s important to wipe down their paws with a damp cloth to get rid of irritants and prevent your dog from ingesting anything poisonous.

Realise their limits

During winter, it’s important to adjust the lengths of your dog walks to protect them from any cold-weather related risks e.g. frostbite. You could, for example, take them out for shorter but more frequent walks. Older dogs will often struggle in the cold also as it may cause their joints to stiffen up. Similarly, if your pet has any existing illnesses, they may be more at risk – talk to your vet for more information.